Reading and watching a lot of telly has me thinking of a recurring theme: women of a particular age deciding they won’t take everyone’s BS anymore and speaking their minds. Hmmm. Hits home and sounds way too familiar for me.
I think there is a large sector of women who came up being taught that we were to be silent, to acquiesce at every opportunity. Always go along with the other, especially if that other is a man. It’s a good thing I have a loving, kind, and open-minded husband, because I talk most things out with him and he listens and even if or when we disagree, he allows me to say what I think, to feel what I feel, and isn’t always trying to change it to what he thinks and feels. He doesn’t (at least usually) mansplaine.
As we women have aged though, the ones in this certain group, we have gradually come into our own, found our deepest hearts and personalities, come to know ourselves, found knowledge, wisdom and we’ve located our voices. We can no longer tolerate being talked over, shushsed, discounted, summarily ignored. I was just watching a cop show where this woman, after forty years of bowing to her husband making every decision without even consulting her, stood up to him and told him that the man had never asked anyone else’s opinion ever, and was only ever happy when he got his own way. “Bravo!” I shouted in response, and gave her a hand-clap.
That wasn’t even a harsh statement, just a true one, and the man looked as though he’d been slapped. Rude awakening. A lot of men are in for a rude awakening, or maybe have already experienced their Woman of a Particular Age speak her mind. There’s an awakening that happens with age. I’ve seen it in real life as well as on telly. There may come, can come a time, wherein a woman feels she’s been lied to, pushed down, controlled and manipulated one too many times. Look out when she becomes aware of this. There’s nothing like a woman coming into her own, finding her power. A lot of people won’t like it. She won’t care, not a flip.
She is my sister, my kindred and I will continue to stand with her, in her corner and shout, “Bravo!” and give her a hand-clap. I am her and she is me.
Well done, sister. Find and use that voice, use it until everyone leaves and nobody, not a soul wants to listen anymore, and then speak into the wind and the sky. Eventually one or two will gather around, those who actually want to hear what you have to say. Keep those people. Keep them near and dear, for they love the REAL you.
Well done, sister. Well done.